Reigning Big 12 regular season champion West Virginia landed five student-athletes on the 2013 Preseason All-Big 12 soccer team, as selected by the league’s head coaches. 2012 Big 12 postseason champion Baylor and Texas Tech also placed a pair of players on this year’s team.

The five WVU honorees include defender Jess Crowder, midfielder Kara Blosser, midfielder Ashley Lawrence, forward Kate Schwindel and forward Frances Silva. During their inaugural season in the Big 12, the Mountaineers won the league’s regular season title with a conference record of 7-0-1. Schwindel garnered All-Big 12 First Team recognition last season while Silva was an All-Big 12 Second Team honoree.

Texas Tech’s duo of forward Janine Beckie and defender Jaelene Hinkle both earned All-Big 12 First Team recognition last season after leading the Red Raiders to a third-place conference finish and the program’s first-ever NCAA Tournament appearance. Beckie was also named the 2012 Big 12 Rookie of the Year.